ILOILO CITY, Philippines – National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents seized some 1,400 sacks of what was believed to be National Food Authority (NFA) rice repacked as a commercial variety of rice in a raid in Leganes, Iloilo yesterday.
NBI special agent John Katipunan said they caught 12 workers repacking the rice at a warehouse in Barangay Napnud.
The warehouse was reportedly registered under the name of Dennis de Vicente, a businessman from San Enrique town, also in Iloilo.
De Vicente was not around when the raid was conducted.
Katipunan said the NFA has yet to confirm if the sacks of rice came from the government.
The NBI conducted the raid after receiving reports that imported rice from Vietnam was allegedly repacked at a warehouse in Leganes.
The report said the rice came from an NFA warehouse in Roxas City, Capiz, and was set for delivery in Iloilo.
Katipunan said the rice was packed in white unmarked sacks. Empty sacks marked NFA were reportedly found at the back of the warehouse.
The agents padlocked the warehouse and posted a guard in the area to ensure that no one would tamper with the evidence.